Leadership 254 is designed to advance the skills of county officials to enable them to meet the unique challenges of their duties and to enhance their leadership skills and style.

Participants learn to overcome limitations and redefine the possibilities they set for themselves, their courthouse, their county official association and their county constituents.

Applications for the next class will be accepted June 7‑Sept. 6, 2024, and the program will run February 2025-April 2026.

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Leadership skills are advanced through:

• Interactive discussions.
• Theory building.
• Skill assessments.
• Experiential learning activities.

These exercises, stretch and — most importantly — transform participants into leaders who positively affect their counties and Texas.

Participants learn:

• New dimensions of themself in relation to others.
• Effective personal methodology for decision-making.
• How to align and inspire teams, collaborate with and influence others, and create a vision that others will follow.
• To assess their personal leadership style and gain perspective through peer and facilitated assessments.
• Ways to enhance personal communication skills through experiential media relations training.
• To create their own transformational leadership plan.

Participants have access to valuable resources to implement the competencies developed over the course of the program and develop a sense of community with their classmates.

Participant Time Commitment

Participants complete four modules over the course of 14 months between election cycles. Each module is unique and significant in the participant’s process to self-reflect, grow and transform. See program agenda with dates and locations.

The estimated time commitment for each module ranges from two to three days, with a total training time commitment of approximately 11 days for the entire program (not including travel time).

Throughout the program, participants will complete pre-module and post-module assignments individually, in teams and with an accountability partner.

Leadership 254 is a continuous program where students are required to attend and complete all four modules in sequence. It is important that participants plan to arrive at the start time of each module and stay through its conclusion.

Who Should Attend

Leadership 254 is an executive leadership program for elected county officials and appointed county auditors who want to develop a new way of thinking about leadership. The small class size creates an environment that encourages open communication and strong connections. TAC aims to include two representatives from every county office in each class.

Applying

County officials must apply between June 7 and Sept. 6, 2024, to be considered for the Leadership 2025-2026 class. The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) will provide scholarships to those selected to attend.

There are two ways to submit an application:

1. Complete and submit online. Apply Online Today!
   Please note: The application can take up to 30 minutes to complete, and the content entered cannot be saved during completion of the form.


2. Download and complete the form. Email Haley Click or mail to Texas Association of Counties, Haley Click/Leadership 254, 1210 San Antonio Street, Austin, TX 78701.

Review Process and Notification of Participants

All applications will be reviewed blindly by the TAC Leadership Development Committee, which is made up of county officials representing each county official association.

The committee will choose, at least, two applicants from each county office, keeping the class size below 30 people. Applicants will be notified of their admissions status by Nov. 22, 2024.

Scholarship and Travel Expenses

TAC will provide a scholarship to each participant selected. The scholarship covers Leadership 254 course materials, assessments, food and lodging. Travel expenses are not included and are the responsibility of each participant.

Special Services

This program is ADA accessible. Please contact Haley Click, Director of Education and Member Services, at (800) 456-5974 if you need assistance.

Leadership 254 Cancellation Policy

Leadership 254 is designed for a limited group of participants. If a participant must cancel after being selected, they should submit their cancellation in writing to Haley Click.